I've Got Beef With You
by anipwrites
Summary: Nathaniel Kurtzberg, resident wallflower, has been rapidly losing weight over the past year. No one has noticed, or knows why... except Chloe Bourgeois. And now, she's got some beef she needs to handle with him.


Basically this story came about because me and a friend were joking around in a voice chat, and then she brought it up in a Chlonath server we're both in. Someone else asked "is this a Chlonath prompt?" and my brain basically went "well now it is, get to writing you fucker."

So here are the fruits of my labor. Its a definite change in pace from that last piece I published.

* * *

Chloe didn't really want to admit to herself, or anyone else really, that she'd been sneaking glances over at Nathaniel for the past year in class. But she had been.

It had really all started when that new superhero, Rouge, had showed up. Something about Nathaniel had changed since then, and it drew her attention. She hadn't figured out quite exactly what changed-he was still quiet, an art nerd, didn't really talk to anyone. But she knew there was something, and she was determined to figure it out.

And it had taken her a full year to figure it out. Nathaniel Kurtzberg...

Was rapidly losing weight.

Not that he was exactly rotund before, but he was even skinnier now than she had ever really seen him. His clothes hung off him like limp rags, his hands trembled, and bags had begun to form under her eyes. It was pretty safe to say... he wasn't doing all that well. Chloe was beginning to worry that he'd collapse one day.

Not that anyone else noticed. Because Nathaniel, despite his vivid red hair, was still just 'that kid who sat in the back of the class.' He had an art to staying hidden- - hiding behind Ivan so he could sleep and draw in class. Getting the same locker every year- - in the back. Being the first one in and the last one out, every day. Except for one thing- - he always slipped out of class whenever something happened. Originally, it was a habit Marinette and Adrien had picked up at the start of the school year. Chloe had only noticed because she'd turn to look for Adrien only to find him gone. Around the same time Rouge appeared, Nathaniel started vanishing too.

It was a miracle she ever wound up figuring him out. She had gotten to school late, after an upset stomach, and just so happened to be in the locker room when he rushed in and transformed into Rogue. He didn't notice her in there because he was to the far left and she was in the far right, furthest away from the door. He just transformed and left.

Thinking back... a lot more things made sense. The sneaking out was obvious now. The bags under his eyes were probably from night after night of patrolling with Ladybug and Chat Noir across the roofs of Paris, maybe even on top his habit of staying up late to work on art. The weight loss... well, if he wasn't eating enough to sustain such exercise, what did he expect to happen?

But enough was enough. Secret identities be damned, but someone had to make sure this idiot ate something for once in his life. But... she really didn't want to admit that she had been looking at him from across the room for the past year. And wouldn't he totally freak if she found out he knew? It was a risk that had to be taken.

* * *

Nathaniel was having a hard time staying awake. A night patrol with the team had quickly turned into a chase with a few robbers and extensive use of his powers. He'd been the hero. He'd saved the day.

No superhero comics ever brought up the tiredness that came with it. He'd had a hard enough time staying standing long enough to fix breakfast. Black dots had danced across his vision more than once on the walk to school. He probably needed to eat more. But with no extra funds for extra food, and parents who were away too much for him to actually pose a good argument for more food ('we're already on a tight budget' they always said 'we can't just go buying food willy-nilly' they would say), he was basically stuck with his grades slipping through the cracks and his consciousness fading constantly.

He almost didn't notice the perfectly-manicured hand slam down on his desk, or hear Chloe fussing at him. Until she nudged his shoulder.

"Are you even listening, tomato head?!" she asked, glaring down at him.

"Uh. no. can you repeat literally everything you said just now?" Nathaniel mumbled, blinking dumbly at her. Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Listen up, for once! I've got some beef with you that we gotta handle."

"Wh-what?! What do you mean, wh-wh-what did I do?!"

"Meet me in the schoolyard at 3:00, bitch."

"Chloe, wait, I- -"

"What more do I need to say for you to get it?! Whatever! 'Cash me outside how bout dat' or whatever the thing is! Be there!"

"I- -" before Nathaniel could get another word out, Chloe turned on her heel and walked back to her desk. She sent him a quick glare before turning her back on him again, just as Ms. Mendeleiv came in.

Oh lord. What kind of deep shit had he gotten himself into?

* * *

"What do you think is going to happen, Trixx?" Nathaniel asked, wrenching his beanie in his hands nervously as he whispered into his locker. The fox kwami shrugged her shoulders back at him.

"I'm not sure. But nothing you can't handle!"

"Yeah... you're probably right? Probably?" Nathaniel sighed as everything seemed to spin again. He could barely see Trixx's concerned look.

"Hey, kid, seriously. I don't care what your parents say, you need to eat more. You wouldn't be the first holder of mine to steal food to survive, aye?"

"Trixx, I'm supposed to be a hero of Paris. I'm not stealing food. Let's just... go meet Chloe." the floating fox sighed before zipping into his hat, and he put it on and grabbed his stuff before heading outside.

Okay. This was it. She was probably going to have to tell him for any of this to make sense. Sabrina had questioned the Tupperware she brought back with her after lunch break- - and Chloe didn't disclose the detail that she had gone out to buy an actual set of Tupperware. Especially not for the Boy in the Back.

Her fingers drummed nervously against its lid as she sat at the bench, staring forward. It was 2:59. He'd be here any minute now, and she was going to have to confess. And give him some real fucking food.

The door clicked behind her, and footsteps approached over the grass. She took a calming breath before turning her head coolly- - yeah real smooth Chloe- - and sending him her trademarked Look of Displeasure. The redhead looked extremely worried, and for a tick Chloe felt bad for scaring him so bad. What did he think she was gonna' do, beat him up? Few days ago, she wouldn't have thought it would be that hard, but some recent developments had changed her mind.

"H-Hey, Chloe…" Nathaniel stammered, waving an awkward hand. "Y-You… wanted to talk?"

"Yes, Nathaniel, I did." Chloe set the bag aside and stood up. It wasn't exactly a huge accomplishment to be taller than Nathaniel, but with her heels on she towered over him. Nathan swallowed air, and was noticeably shaking. Mother of god, he really did think she was gonna' beat him up. It was almost funny.

"I know about your secret." The redhead paled noticeably, eyes going wide.

"Secret? W-What secret, I don't have a- - "

"What?! How the fuck did she figure out- - oh," his hat shouted. Nathaniel looked like he was about to pass out.

"Hey! Hey! Stay with me here! If you pass out I'm gonna' call the hospital and your parents probably won't be happy!"

"How did you… when did you…?"

"Monday afternoon, you transformed in the locker room. But that's besides the point!"

"Okay… o… kay…" he pinched at the bridge of his nose in an attempt to keep himself awake. "Is this the beef you had with me?"

"Kind of. You've been losing weight faster than Ladybug can swing her yoyo! I'm worried about you!"

"Is that why you've been checking him out for the past year?" the hat asked

"I- - what?! No?! I haven't been checking you out! I-I just- - as a concerned citizen and classmate I noticed that you've been tired and looked like you were going to collapse any second and that's bad! What if you pass out mid battle- -"

"Already happened," the hat spoke again.

"Wow, thanks, Trixx. Way to put me out there." Nathaniel grumbled.

"You've passed out in battle?!" Chloe gasped.

"Yeah? We had been fighting Erasure for a good hour and I used up all my illusions and went to detransform and I guess I passed out because next thing I knew the building behind me was gone and a half hour had gone by. I fell asleep. Sue me."

"Nathaniel! Okay, you know what, I- -" Chloe grabbed the Tupperware bowl and shoved it into his hands. He stared down at it a second, puzzled.

"What is this?"

"I told you I had beef with you! Here's your fucking beef!"

"What? Chloe- - I- -"

"Here's a goddamn fork! Eat your food! And get used to it! I'm having my chef make you a lunch every day, and a big one, so get ready! What are your allergies?"

"I don't understand, why did you- -"

"What are your fucking allergies, tomato head?!"

"Uh? Tomatoes?"

"What the fuck?"

"I am allergic to tomatoes."

"Since when?!"

"Always? That one time you smashed a tomato into my food in 7eme, I was crying because I could barely breathe? What did you think it was for? Cannibalism?"

"How much would you laugh if I said yeah?"

"Like, a ton, Chloe."

"Then no, it wasn't!"

"Sure thing, Chloe, sure thing." Nathaniel sat on the bench, and she took a seat beside him. She filed her nails and looked at her phone, he ate the meal and shared a bit of it with his kwami, Trixx, who apparently lived in that new hat he had started wearing at the beginning of the year. He finished and sighed, a soft smile on his face. Chloe couldn't help but smirk.

"Hey, Chloe?" the blonde turned her head to look at him. He was grinning wide now, blue eyes seeming to shine with his smile. "Thanks a lot for doing all this. I really appreciate it."

Oh, fuck. He was so precious, so pure, too good for this world, she would protect this boy with her life, holy fuck he was gorgeous. She'd cook him three meals if it meant he would smile at her again like that.

Was she… falling for him?

As he left her there with an empty Tupperware bowl and a warm feeling in her stomach, she realized… maybe she was okay with that.

* * *

I hoped you enjoyed this story!

For those of you worried about me abandoning the other fics I've got, I'm not. I'm still working on them. I might even have the next chapter for Ain't Clowning Around ready to be beta'ed by next week.

Speaking of betas! This fic was beta'ed by wishfulina, flautist4ever, and zoozoocala, all of who can be found on Tumblr!

Hope you have a nice day!


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